Usually, from 7 to 20 types of finished products are selected for one smoking shop, which makes it possible to bring the recipe and quality of the finished product to a high level. Each type of finished product can be sold in different packaging. For example, cold-smoked mackerel can be sold by weight, vacuum-packed for one fish, vacuum-packed pieces of 200 gr. etc.

* Waste factor is the number by which 1 kg of raw material must be multiplied in order to get all of the raw material from which 1 kg of finished product is obtained (1 kg of raw material * Waste factor = Weight of raw material that is needed to obtain 1 kg of finished product)

** The cost of raw materials varies depending on the region and season, its cost needs to be specified

*** Raw material cost - the cost of raw materials in 1 kg of finished products

2. An example of an assortment of a fish smoking shop.

Output volume and gross profit per day (profit excluding overhead costs for rent, wages, electricity and consumables). For example, we took the production of cold and hot smoked fish, as well as dried fish. If you are focusing on the minimum investment at the first stage, then you can take a kit for cold smoking and drying fish - Izhitsa-1200 + Izhitsa-SV. If you have the opportunity to create a smokehouse with a wide range, then this kit can be supplemented with Izhitsa-GK.

Comments:

1. We expect to work in one shift, respectively, the productivity of the smoking shop for 8 hours will be 240 kg. When organizing work in two shifts, the productivity of the workshop can be increased up to 500 kg per day.
2. On average, from one kilogram of finished products, the workshop earns 77 ₽
3. A cold store is needed for storing finished products with a size of 3x3 meters, a height of 2.2 meters (9 square meters, 19.8 cubic meters) with a temperature regime of 0 - -4 degrees C.

3. Procurement plan. We proceed from the frequency of supply of raw materials once every three days

Comments:

1. The required amount of working capital for the purchase of raw materials 142 235 ₽
2. Cold storage required 916 kg
3. The size of the refrigerating chamber for storing raw materials is 12 m2, the temperature regime is -18 degrees C.

4. Specification for equipment for the fish smoking shop

5. Consumables (production cost)

Production costs per 1 kg of finished products 10.81 ₽

The cost of consumables at the first stage is 78,500.00 ₽

6. Overhead

Overhead costs per month 171 000 ₽

7. The amount of investment in the smokehouse

*Renovation of the premises - The cost of repairs may vary up and down. It depends on the degree of readiness of the rented premises. To begin with, it is enough to lay out the walls with white Belarusian tiles (150 rubles / m2) for one and a half meters, make a drain in the floor in the salt room, conduct electricity to electrical installations, and make ventilation umbrellas over smokehouses.

8. Ensuring the project sales volume

The products of a private smoking shop are positioned as a product of higher quality compared to the factory one. Therefore, it is worth counting on sales to farm and private stores, directly from the workshop, at local markets, fairs. It makes sense to sell online only if there is no entry bonus and the payment is deferred for no more than 2 weeks.

Most of the "young" entrepreneurs believe that it is impossible to make money on smoking fish, and that such a business will bring more problems than profit. But they are all very wrong. Such a thing is easy to implement and relevant at any time of the year, because among consumers there is always a demand for smoked products.

Smoking at home

Smoking is the process of preparing fish by keeping it in an enclosed space filled with smoke from wood. Finely chopped wood (chips) should be used as kindling. The most important thing is not to use coniferous trees. Often used alder, willow, birch, oak or apple tree. They should be separated from the bark, finely chopped, soaked and placed in the bottom of your smoker, you can also put thin fresh twigs.

To begin with, you should purchase a smokehouse, usually it is a metal box with grates inside. Also, the box has a lid, which must be closed very tightly so that the smoke cannot escape.

Fish for smoking is also worth choosing correctly. Try to establish direct supplies of raw materials from manufacturers. Fatty fish are best suited: greenling, pike perch, perch, pike and others. Before smoking, the fish is most often salted, but you can cook it fresh.

Before salting, large fish should be gutted: remove gills, entrails and a dark film on the ribs, you can also fill the abdominal cavity of the fish with various spicy herbs (basil, dill, parsley and other spices). This is done to remove the bitterness in cooked fish, however, this procedure is not required for small fish. It is important to note that whitefish are an exception, and they must be gutted anyway, otherwise they will turn out bitter.

Especially tasty is the fish, which was soaked in spicy rossol before smoking, which makes its cape very tasty and tender. It is best to keep the fish for 2-3 hours in rossol just before smoking. During the smoking process, you will have to open the lid of the smoker and check the readiness of the product, try to do this quickly and carefully so as not to release too much smoke. Upon completion of smoking, the fish should be dried from fat with tracing paper or paper towels.

Hot smoking method

Using this method, you should be as careful as possible. With hot smoking, there is a big risk of losing fish, your precious time, and also losing customers.

The essence of hot smoking is keeping fish in hot smoke, and the main danger is the possibility of burning fish carcasses over an open fire.

For such smoking, carp (bream, asp, sabrefish), cod (cod, burbot), salmon (chum, pink salmon), sturgeon (sterlet, sturgeon) are best suited, but other fish can also be used.

First of all, the fish should be gutted and thoroughly cleaned, then soaked in a 10% salt solution for 2-4 hours. Also, gutted fish can simply be rubbed with salt inside and out, and then let it soak for 3-4 hours. Next is the matter of smoking. For smoking, a thick-walled metal box with properly selected grates is suitable. At the bottom of the box you need to put firewood, which can be used as a birch, alder or aspen. To give the fish a golden color, it is worth pouring aspen sawdust. Above the firewood, grates should be installed. Then arrange the fish so that it does not touch each other, and also does not adhere to the walls of the smokehouse itself. With good heat, the fish should be cooked for 35 to 45 minutes.

Smoking in an air grill

Airfryer will save a lot of time, as well as produce much more products in the time saved. Professional smokers confirm the simplicity of this method of smoking, having calculated, they realized that, subject to all the rules and regulations, such smoking will take no more than two hours. The smoking time directly depends on the size and fat content of the fish, and usually lasts 20-40 minutes. You also need to remember that you should not keep the fish in hot smoke for more than 2.5 hours.

Small, portable smoker

As mentioned above, smoking with an air grill is very simple. You need to choose a fish of the same size, gut it, cut off the tail and head, rinse thoroughly and dry well with paper towels, make sure that there are no paper fibers left on the fish. Next, you need to make a mixture of coarse table salt and various spices and coat the fish with it inside and out. To salt the fish, let it lie down in this form for 2-3 hours, depending on the size of the fish, then put the fish on the grate at a small distance from each other, and put sawdust moistened with water on the bottom of the air grill. If you laid out dry sawdust, then they should simply be sprayed with water. Smoke the fish for 30 minutes in an air grill heated to 210 degrees Celsius.

This type of home business will bring you no small profit. The product is always in great demand among buyers, but it should be remembered that having gained a clientele, you should not degrade the quality of your product, otherwise you will lose not only existing customers, but also the potential growth of your business. You should approach the matter with full responsibility, choose fresh fish for smoking, try to take it from trusted suppliers that you trust. Also, one should not neglect the basic rules of smoking, doing business and, of course, safety.

Reading 10 min. Published on 08.01.2020

Smoked fish and meat are in demand products and occupy a serious niche in the modern food market. Consumer demand creates supply, but how do you open a smokehouse from scratch? You will find answers to the most important questions in this material.

Opening a smokehouse: registration and necessary documents

To open your own smoking shop and for the legal activity of the enterprise, legal registration of a number of documents is required:

• Registration of the organizational and legal form of the future enterprise (LLC, or other legal entity).
• Opening and arrangement of the workshop (lease agreement, or property). At the same time, the premises must fully comply with sanitary requirements and standards.
• Obtain a conclusion and work permit from Rospotrebnadzor, fire inspection, Rostekhnadzor, Rosprirodnadzor.
• For the release of products must be a veterinary certificate.

After receiving all the necessary documents and conclusions, the veterinary service and the SES can conduct periodic inspections, to which they have a legal right. This should be remembered and the required state of the workshop and production should be maintained in the proper form.

Where and how to sell smoked fish and meat: we study the market and competitors

Market research is a must before starting any business.

When opening a smokehouse from scratch, pay attention to the following aspects:

1. Examine the product range and pricing policy of those enterprises that are already engaged in the production of products in your area.
2. Try to find out the preferences and tastes of consumers, conduct a survey among the population.
3. Carefully study the products of competitors, evaluate all the pros and cons, draw conclusions. This will prevent mistakes when releasing your own similar products.
4. Find and designate the most profitable points of sale.

After receiving answers to all the above questions, you will know how to proceed further - with whom to conclude sales contracts, which products to produce in the largest volume, and which ones to maintain in a minimum volume only for the range.

Features of the production of smoked fish and meat: smoking technology

The technology of smoking fish and meat is different from each other. At the same time, the smoking chamber must support the following modes: cold and hot smoking, cooking, drying, roasting.

Dry-cured meat products

The preparation of dry-cured meat products does not require any heat treatment. The raw materials used are beef, pork, chicken, turkey meat.

Preparation consists of the following steps:

• Meat preparation, washing and drying.
• Dry salting (no brine, only salt). The duration of exposure at this stage is 5-7 days. At this time, the full ripening of the meat takes place, all bacteria and microbes are removed.
• Drying meat in a smoking chamber at a temperature of 20-22 degrees.
• Smoking in the chamber (duration about 40-45 minutes).

A feature of this cooking method is repeated drying and smoking - these procedures are performed several times (3-5), repeating one after another. As a result, the product should acquire a rich golden color and a dense structure. The recipe and technology may vary depending on the type of smoking chamber.

Cold smoked fish

First, the fish is thawed and cut. After the preparatory work is completed, the product is salted in brine for a period of 3 to 10 days, depending on the size of the fish.

The next step is drying. For this, the smoking chamber has an appropriate mode. After the fish is smoked with cold smoke (not higher than 25 degrees). In the smoking chamber, this process takes several hours.

Hot smoking

The technology of hot smoking is distinguished by its temperature regime - the main process takes place at a high temperature. The advantage of the method is to obtain more juicy products, since moisture is retained as much as possible. The disadvantage lies in the shortening of the shelf life.

The main stages of hot smoking technology are:

1. Preparation of raw materials (washing, gutting).
2. Salting (for several days).
3. Drying.
4. Smoking.

When using smoking chambers, products are prepared quickly, under optimal conditions that meet all requirements.

What equipment and space is needed for a smokehouse?

Opening a smokehouse is not an easy task, because even the premises are subject to serious requirements. The building must be located in a special sanitary zone, at least 300 meters long from residential areas.

In the premises at the enterprise it is necessary to equip compartments and rooms for special purposes:

• Warehouse with a cooler for storing raw materials (no more than 1 day).
• A workshop where saline solution is prepared and salting of raw materials is carried out.
• Room for packaging finished products.
• The room in which the sanitary processing of returnable containers will be carried out.
• Compartment for drying clean containers.
• Closed warehouse for containers.
• Closed warehouse for storage of disinfectants.
• Storage room for sawdust, fuel.
• Compartment for storing packaging material and additional equipment (if any).
• Warehouse for finished products (daily storage).

It is desirable to arrange the supply of finished products without storage, but this is not always possible, therefore, it is necessary to equip refrigeration equipment in a separate room for a warehouse.

Small inventory required for processing raw materials for smoking:

1. A table for cutting fish and a separate table for meat (cutting two types of raw materials on the same table is not allowed).
2. Boards for cutting (2-3 pieces for each type of raw material).
3. Knives for cutting (2-3 pieces for each type of raw material).
4. Capacities.
5. Weighing and refrigeration equipment.
6. Trolleys for transportation of raw materials and finished products.

The main equipment is smoking chambers and refrigerators.

The following requirements are imposed on smoking chambers:

• The doors of the smoking chamber must be closed tightly.
• The presence of ventilation and a hatch in the cell are considered a prerequisite.
• Such parts of the smokehouse as slats, ramrods should be doubled, as they are sanitized every shift.
• Presence of thermometers in smoking chambers. The temperature regime is recorded in special journals.

The average cost of a smokehouse is 100-130 thousand rubles. Daily processing in this case is 200-300 kg. With an increase in production, the number of smokehouses also increases.

Tables, boards, cutting equipment must be processed in accordance with sanitary standards every shift. If it is meant to release cut or sliced ​​products in individual packaging, you should remember to indicate the packaging date, batch number, and expiration dates on them.

Finished products cannot be stored together with raw materials. Fish and meat cannot be stored and processed together at any stage of production.

We choose suppliers of fish and meat for the smokehouse

The choice and purchase of raw materials should be treated with special attention, since the quality of the finished product and, accordingly, the reputation of your production depends on this. It is better to order raw materials directly from manufacturers. In this case, these are those leading legal activities.

It does not make sense to choose shops, supermarkets and other retail chains as a supplier, since the costs of rent, taxes, etc. will be included in the products. With direct suppliers, the cost of raw materials will always be lower. It is worth considering the fact that after smoking, fish or meat loses about 10-12% in weight, so you need to look for a supplier with a favorable offer for price and quality. .

It is important to cooperate with suppliers from the same region where the activity is planned. In this case, there is no risk of receiving stale goods, and transportation costs are reduced.

To work with suppliers, you must conclude a contract. Upon receipt of the goods, a quality certificate for products and veterinary certificates for meat must be attached. They must correspond to the date of delivery, the type of raw material, the weight of the delivery must match up to grams. When cooperating with legal suppliers, no problems arise in the future.

What staff would be required to smoke fish and meat?

At the initial stage of organizing production, 2-3 people will be required, it is desirable that they have experience in this area. When using modern smokehouses, special education is not required, but at the same time, technological maps with a recipe that will be used in production must be approved. Usually these cards are included with the equipment, they are consistent with current regulations and meet all requirements.

Personnel must have the skills to operate the equipment, understand the technology of smoking . The presence of sanitary books is mandatory for each employee of food production.

When opening a larger workshop that will produce more than 2 tons of finished products per month, several smoking chambers (2-3) will be required, and the number of employees will also increase by 2-3 times. With the expansion of production to such a level, it makes sense to open our own points of sale, respectively, and the composition of workers will also increase.

At the initial stage, one person responsible for production, one assistant is enough. This number of staff is enough for a mini-smoker. With expanded production, a raw material receiver and a person responsible for its processing, a separate person for cutting and salting fish, a production manager responsible for a warehouse, a driver and vehicles with a cooler for transporting goods, an accountant, technical staff for cleaning at the factory are required.

Sample business plan for opening a smokehouse from scratch: calculation of costs and income

The costs for opening a smokehouse are not too high, and the payback period is no more than two to three years. But with a competent approach and well-established relations with the sales market, this time can be halved.

At the initial stage, for a small workshop, funds will be required in the following amount:

• The cost of equipment is 400 thousand rubles.
• Registration of documentation 25 thousand rubles.
• Repair work in the workshop, arrangement and rental costs for this period of time - 300 thousand rubles.
• Starting costs for raw materials 250 thousand rubles.
• Additional expenses of 100 thousand rubles.

Total: 1 million 75 thousand rubles.

This is the minimum initial investment. Now consider what current costs are required for the annual maintenance of a small smokehouse.

We calculate:

• The rent is 300 thousand rubles.
• The cost of power supply is 220 thousand rubles.
• Purchase of raw materials 2 million 800 thousand rubles.
• Salary for staff (2 people) 500 thousand rubles.
• Taxes 270 thousand rubles.
• Transportation costs 120 thousand rubles.
• Other (additional) expenses 150 thousand rubles.

Total: 4 million 360 rubles.

To reduce the payback period and quickly make a profit, several types of sales should be combined:

1. Sales for sale in retail chains . With an average price of finished products of 400 rubles per kilogram (meat, fish), sales of 800 kg per month will bring 320 thousand rubles.
2. Deliveries to catering points . If sales amount to approximately 300 kg, then the monthly revenue from this point of sale will be 120 thousand rubles.

Total: 440 thousand rubles.

Annual revenue will amount to 5 million 280 thousand rubles. We add up current expenses and start-up investments, we get the figure of 5 million 435 thousand rubles.

Output: in this case, the first year of operation of the workshop "leaves" for payback and current expenses. But next year will bring a net profit of almost 900 thousand rubles!

Risks associated with opening a smokehouse from scratch

Any business has its risks, and you should be aware of them, because then they can be minimized or avoided altogether. It is better to start with a small workshop, then the cost of equipment will be reduced, and the products will be sold in a timely manner in full. Over time, when the reputation is won and you have “your regular customer” on the market, you can start expanding.

It is not reasonable to launch a large-scale production of smoked meats from scratch right away, there is a high risk of minimal sales, and then the enterprise will become unprofitable.

Working with unreliable suppliers can also bring its own risks associated with low-quality products.

In the summer months, it is necessary to use refrigeration equipment, to maintain the optimum temperature in the workshop.

Unloading and loading of raw materials and finished products should be carried out at a fast pace. Fish or meat should not be allowed to stay without refrigerators for a long time, otherwise it deteriorates, and the shelf life is reduced.

Early market research, assessment of demand and competitiveness helps to establish a profitable business. But do not be too self-confident, and even if you have established contacts with sales points, be prepared for possible risks and losses, because the chosen production allows you to receive products with a short shelf life.

Don't forget to keep proper documentation. All quality certificates, veterinary certificates and other product certificates must be available.

The business of producing smoked fish and meat can bring a solid income with minimal investment. The main thing is to evaluate all the opportunities and risks of sales, but it is better to have your own point of sale!

Probably everyone wants to get big money from a hobby. In some cases, this is real. If you have been a cook for a long time, and fish is your favorite dish, try smoking fish as a business: technology, benefits, reviews of successful entrepreneurs and financial calculations will surely show you that such an idea is successful and quite simple. We'll take a closer look at the business.

Business Line Analysis

To get down to business prepared and savvy, it is worth carefully analyzing fish smoking as a business in advance. Now such production is carried out exclusively on a small scale, because the competition of large companies is too great in a wide market.

Therefore, it is recommended to think over the concept of a specifically mini-smoker, which will later be expanded. In addition to a small but successful niche, the owner is content with a fairly small amount of investments necessary to start.

Undoubtedly, you will have to think over and draw up a clear and competent business plan, especially if you are new to entrepreneurship. Although a small business does not require a huge investment of effort and finance, it is important to carefully control every stage of organizing a business.

Also, the main calculation should go to the professionalism of the work and the quality of the finished product. In terms of the smokehouse, you can choose between hot smoked or cold smoked options. Businesses organized at home, most often choose the hot method for its ease and speed.

The risks of such a business

Undoubtedly, like any other, the fish smoking business has its risks, which must be prepared in advance:

1. In order to be able to sell all products normally from the very beginning, it is worth starting from a small workshop, because products tend to deteriorate.
2. The demand for such a product is quite average, so there is a possibility that you will not be able to find your buyer in the market of your region.
3. The whole business as a whole depends on the reliability of the meat supplier and the quality of his supply, unless, of course, you get the fish yourself.
4. During the summer months, the demand for the product increases, but its perishable properties also increase, which makes you spend more money and try to sell the product faster.
5. The quality of the finished product also depends on the work of not only the smoking shop, but also other employees, because the goods should not be out of the refrigerator for a long time.

To avoid various mistakes, it is worth analyzing the work of your competitors. This is how it is possible to notice other people's problems and interesting, useful advantages. Try to evaluate the list of services offered by other businesses, their pricing policy, the most purchased products and marketing campaign.

Here you can download it for free to use it as a sample.

We prepare business documents

It is necessary to start the business, of course, with the preparation of the necessary documentation. To register a smoking business, you can choose an individual entrepreneur. An individual Entrepreneur is just right for a mini-smokehouse with ease of reporting and minimal financial responsibility.

In addition, it is with individual entrepreneurs that an entrepreneur can choose a simplified tax system. After registering a business with the tax office and selecting the required OKVED code, the owner of the future smokehouse must obtain permission from the SES and the fire inspectorate to conduct business in the premises of your choice.

Permission will also be required from Rostekhnadzor and Rosprirodnadzor, the documents must be provided by the supplier. In addition, you work and sell a food product, so you need to obtain special documents from the veterinary service and product quality certificates.

Choosing a site for the enterprise

Next, you should choose a site where the permanent production of smoked fish will be organized. Speaking about an enterprise at home, it should be understood that specifically in the conditions of an apartment it will be possible to create exclusively a sale for relatives and friends, a more profitable business requires at least a separate room.

It is there that all production equipment, a warehouse of raw materials and a warehouse of finished products will have to be located, where each will have several refrigerators. If you choose a mini-production, then a suburban private building is perfect. Officially, to create an enterprise that meets the requirements of the authorities, it is necessary to take into account the following guidelines:

• The area of ​​the premises is not less than 110 square meters.
• At least 300 meters from the nearest residential visit.
• Connection to the central water supply and serviceable sewerage.
• Having a stable air exchange system.
• Organization of separate premises for warehouses of raw materials and smoked meats ready for sale.

Try to think in advance how profitable the idea is to take an existing building that does not meet the requirements, or rented, but has the necessary equipment.

We buy the necessary equipment

As mentioned earlier, there are two methods of working with fish - hot and cold smoking. Depending on the option you choose, the necessary equipment is purchased. For a small enterprise, we chose hot smoking, because even professional equipment here is not so expensive. In this case, the production technology requires the purchase of a separate line of devices specifically for hot smoking fish.

Undoubtedly, it is necessary to choose a line wisely so as not to spend money on unnecessary features or lose important functions. The best equipment for work is equipment from Europe, capable of producing about 5 tons of smoked meats per working day.

If you have experience with different smoking methods, you can choose a line that has several modes. Among the main ones can be: cold or hot smoking, boiling, frying and drying. Also try to find devices with temperature and humidity control.

In general, the organization needs the following list of equipment:

1. Refrigerators.
2. Scales.
3. Cutting tables.
4. Trolleys for raw materials.

You will also have to purchase additional equipment from cutting boards, meat knives, special containers, skewers and other things. When buying any device, try to find out more about the manufacturer and seller. It is worth buying only if there are positive reviews and a good reputation.

We are looking for a reliable supplier of raw materials

Obviously, in the manufacture of smoked fish, fish meat itself will be required, which will have to be purchased from a supplier. When choosing a seller, try, as in the case of an equipment seller, check the reputation. You can, of course, independently evaluate the products of each, as well as find out under what conditions the raw materials are stored, but this will take a lot of time and effort.

Be sure to check the expiration date of products and the necessary documentation with each delivery. It is best to buy from local fishermen or from entire livestock farms, because this way it will turn out to get a natural healthy product.

By entering into cooperation, you will receive profitable wholesale supplies of high-quality fish meat with proper official documentation for it. Buying fish in a shopping center or market will most likely end sadly. By the way, profitability will increase quite well if you fish on your own in the summer season.

In terms of products, trading in smoked fish, it is worth paying special attention to red fish. Of course, you should assess the situation in your area and see what is bought better from competitors, but red smoked fish is likely to be in the highest demand.

Recruiting staff

To successfully smoke fish, you do not need special education and diplomas, but you need the skills of a cook and a love for cooking. A small business also does not need a large number of employees, smokehouses at home do work only as the activity of the project owner, but larger enterprises still hire a small team of:

• two workers in the shop;
• janitor;
• driver with own truck;
• manager for work with suppliers and customers.

Some of these vacancies the owner of the enterprise can take on. In addition, it is the business owner who needs to conduct an interview in order to select qualified, in his opinion, employees.

Also, the entrepreneur is obliged to independently fill out accounting reports every month. After the expansion, it will be possible to hire a full-time accountant or hire one from the agency on a monthly basis. If in the future you are going to sell goods not to buyers, but through your own shop, you will also need a seller.

In a business tied to the sale of home-made smoked meats, there are two main problems associated with the sale of goods: high competition and short sales periods. That is why it is necessary to resort to any method and option that can tell about the product to a potential audience, advertise it and lure buyers. It is worth considering both sales problems separately, starting with competition.

Naturally, in order to become a leader among competitors, you need to have higher reviews from customers. It's not enough to have a great quality product, you also need to be able to advertise it and show how highly valued it is.

It is for this purpose that a business card website is launched with a description of the range of manufactured products, information about production, and always with a separate field for reviews from people who have already bought smoked meats. If word of mouth works in the villages, then it is important to give an understanding that you can really be trusted. Of course, traditional advertising options are also suitable, be it banners, media or message boards.

Also, do not forget about the implementation methods. If you start producing large enough batches, then it is better to sell them in bulk to shops, restaurants, catering establishments and various supermarkets. Thus, selling goods even at a low price, you will not burn out, calmly selling all batches and making a steel profit.

Of course, you can also sell at your own point of sale. At first, the batches should be made small, but increased with the advent of a regular customer. In the future, it is worth installing several points in the markets or in the city and hiring individual distributors.

We determine the profitability of the project

To start a business in this direction, you need to understand whether smoking fish is really profitable, and how much you can earn from such production. To do this, a detailed business plan is drawn up, which also takes into account the costs of starting, costs during the project and ongoing income.

It is the ratio of these data that determines how profitable the business is. Let's look at the example of a small regional enterprise for smoking fish for sale, the profitability of such a project.

For a year, such a project will spend about four and a half million rubles on its maintenance. Taking into account the average price of smoked fish in the market, the income for the whole year of work will amount to more than five million rubles. On average, in the first year the project will earn 700 thousand rubles, but every year the amount will only increase.

Video: Izhitsa 1200 smoking plant.

Smoking is a relevant and popular idea for your own business. People like the characteristic taste and smell of "smoky". That is why you can be sure of the profitability of such a project. Proper organization of a fish smokehouse will allow you to make good money.

Any event begins with planning further actions and drawing up a business plan.

Production of smoked fish. Business plan

You need to study the market for your products. This will identify the strengths and weaknesses of production in the future. This requires:

• Determine the range and cost of smoked products where you plan to start production;
• Conduct analytics to identify customer preferences;
• Examine samples of products manufactured by competitors to identify their advantages and disadvantages. They will need to be taken into account during the production of your own product.
• Identify potentially profitable outlets.

The success of the smoked fish business lies in the ability to offer the client a tasty and healthy product. He will find a product tinted with chemical solutions on the market without your help. Your task is to offer him something that is different from the product of competitors.

Russians love to buy smoked fish with beer. That is why it is better to focus on the average price category and take into account the wishes of the target audience. The business plan can include the Internet to search for the end consumer.

Freshness and quality assurance - that's what is important for the consumer.

Take high quality photos of the fish. Offer your customers gift baskets as an added bonus. A small store can negotiate sales with a network of stores operating throughout Russia.

It is customary to call smoked fish treated with salt, smoke or smoking liquid. Allocate smoke, wet, mixed types of smoking. A separate place is occupied by electrosmoking. There is a classification according to temperature. In this regard, cold and hot smoked fish are distinguished.

The defects of smoked fish are the white-barrel, brine, and mold.

For hot smoked fish, sturgeon, eel, sea bass, mackerel, cod, flounder, horse mackerel and other types of oily or medium fat fish are used. Hot-smoked fish can be uncut, gutted, decapitated and gutted with a head, decapitated, fillet, layer with bone and without bone.

Cold-smoked fish involves the use of salmon fish, roach, herring, sea bass, halibut, sable fish, mackerel, etc. Cold-smoked fish is produced gutted with the head, whole, headless, headless gutted, slices, pieces, etc.

The parameters of the finished product must be within the normal range. This applies to the degree of readiness, surface condition, cutting, taste, smell, salt content.

Packaging and storage of smoked fish also involves a number of requirements. Smoked fish is packed in boxes made of boards or corrugated cardboard, cardboard packs, film bags under vacuum or without vacuum. If you are making slices, then you can package them in figured glass or metal jars. After being packaged in jars or bags, the products are sent to board boxes or corrugated cardboard products. A container with frozen fish is marked “frozen”.

Cold and hot smoked fish should be stored at +2 to -2 ° C for no more than 72 hours from the moment of preparation. Frozen hot-smoked fish can be stored for no more than 30 days at -18 ° C. Cold-smoked fish is stored at 0 - 5 ° C and relative humidity of 80% for 2 months; packed in packs of cardboard - 15 days; pieces, slices, packed in film bags under vacuum at a temperature of 0 to -4 ° C - 20 days, without vacuum - 10 days; at temperatures from -4 to -8 ° C under vacuum - 35 days, without vacuum - 10 days.

When choosing a suitable room for the workshop, you will have to take into account a large number of requirements. If you ignore them, production may be closed.

Compliance with sanitary standards is a prerequisite. If you live in the private sector, you can use the free space at home.

Legislation:

• the minimum floor space is 100 sq. m.;
• the premises are located 300 m from residential buildings and enterprises;
• the workshop is supplied with hot and cold water;
• there is a sewer;
• there are ventilation systems;
• locker rooms and bathrooms for staff are provided.

Building a business from scratch is hard. But you can find a way out, for example, to buy or rent a former canteen, which was originally created in accordance with government regulations.

Preparation of documents for production

List of organizations that you will have to deal with when starting a business:

• Rosprirodnadzor
• Rostechnadzor
• veterinary service
• Fire Department.

Without obtaining permits issued by these organizations, you will not be able to organize a business for the production of smoked fish. You will also be issued quality certificates for all types of products. This aspect is controlled by the Sanitary and Epidemiological Station. Please note that the staff of this service will come to you every month for quality control.

In parallel, you can solve the issue of opening and registering your company. The most successful form is a limited liability company.

Equipment and raw materials for smoked fish

Arrangement of exhaust ventilation is a mandatory component. It must be present in the smoking chambers. The chambers themselves must be equipped with tightly closing hatches and doors. Ramrods, slats are installed in double quantity. They need to be cleaned once per shift. Complete sanitization is also necessary for smoking chambers.

Remote control and measuring devices (moisture meters, thermometers, psychrometers) must be present in smoking chambers to control humidity and temperature. Inside the body of hot-smoked fish, the temperature should not be less than 80 degrees.

Cutting boards and tables will be required for staff work. This is where all the main work will take place. The workers here skin the fish and cut it up.

There are two ways of smoking - cold and hot. In the case of hot smoking, culinary readiness is ensured by heat treatment. Due to the impact of smoke, the fish acquires optimal technological qualities. Each manufacturer has its own special technology for smoking fish, which provides it with a unique taste and smell. Much depends on the equipment used.

In Russia, smoking is carried out in the temperature range from 80 to 170 degrees. If it is cold smoking, then the temperature should be less than 40 degrees. In parallel, the fish is treated with smoke and dried.

For smoking fish, certain types of wood are used - alder, beech, oak. For smoking you will need a steam oven. It can be universal or specialized. In the first case, the equipment is used for both hot and cold smoking.

In our country, smoking installations equipped with smoke generators are more often used. But in some workshops, you can also see old smoking installations in which the source of smoke and heat is open.

Experts advise: fish with good taste is obtained if it is smoked on the smoke from smoldering straw.

The fire when smoking fish should provide enough heat, but at the same time be small. It is better to take small pieces of wood from 4 to 6 cm. Sawdust is also good. Juniper twigs have antimicrobial properties, so it makes sense to use them. Thanks to them, the fish becomes less moldy and lasts longer.

For hot smoking, take 1 kg of salt for every 16 kg of fish. If the fish is large, then the abdomen is opened and the insides are removed, after which they are cut along the spine into two fillets. Medium-sized fish can simply be gutted, while small ones are salted whole. Salt must be washed into the carcass, moving it along the board with slight pressure. The inner surface is rubbed with hands.

Ambassador of small fish takes 1 day, large - from 2 to 3 days.

The next step is to dry the fish for an hour. Following this, they tie the fish with twine and hang it on hangers. To protect against insects, the fish is covered with gauze.

After this, they wash the fish with water and start smoking. The laying of the fish is carried out loosely and in one layer. At the very bottom of the smokehouse should be a large fish. First, a strong fire is lit, then sawdust is poured in, the oven damper is covered, and the fish is left in thick smoke.

The temperature inside the oven during smoking is about 100 degrees. The duration of smoking varies depending on the size of the fish. It takes up to 1 hour for small fish, from one and a half to two hours for large fish.

As soon as the fish acquires a golden overflow, and the skin becomes dryish, the product can be considered ready. The fillet should separate from the spine without any problems, and the consistency should resemble the meat of fried fish.

Cold-smoked fish is strung on twine through the eyes, after which the ends are tied. Salt in a similar way, but use large salts (from 1 to 1.5 kg per 10 kg of fish). Withstand it from 2 to 3 days (small fish) and from 10 to 15 days (large). Soak it after that in water for a day. Small fish can stay in the water for no more than 2 hours.

Following this, the fish is sent to dry in the open air for 3 days. Wooden spacers are inserted into the abdomen. Dried fish is sent to a smokehouse and smoked from 1 to 6 days with cold smoke (no more than 25 ° C).

At first, it is better to offer customers a favorable price for goods in order to create a solid customer base. Gradually, as your business expands, you can add value. If you save on quality, use poor raw materials and deviate from the norms stipulated by law, then it is unlikely that customers will continue to buy smoked fish from you. To raise the price and even set it at a higher level than the competition, cook smoked fish as if you were cooking it for yourself. It may require more time, effort and investment, but its unique taste and aroma will be remembered by customers, and they will line up for you.

Financial calculations for starting the production of smoked fish:

Equipment - 5-35 thousand rubles;

Raw materials - 10-20 thousand rubles;

The cost of transport and payment of utility bills - 7-10 thousand rubles.

Payback of business varies from 2 to 5 months.